Opinion Express View on ‘Naya Kashmir’: A speech, a question
PM Modi's public address in Srinagar underlined importance of J&K for BJP, framed idea of 'naya' Kashmir. It will be incomplete without elections
Like other Indians, the people in J&K deserve accountable governments and a political process in which they have a stake. 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public address in Srinagar on Thursday – his first in the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 – was a report card of the Centre’s administration of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. From the announcement of schemes and packages to the expansion of reservation and a growing economy – the PM sought to draw a straight line between the abrogation and what he called “Naya Kashmir”.
There were at least three aspects to the formulation underlined in the speech. First, that J&K’s exceptionalism was a “shackle” that prevented the benefits flowing from New Delhi from reaching people of the erstwhile state. Second, the people of the Union Territory were denied benefits such as reservation.
Granting ST status to an internally diverse community such as the Paharis, despite opposition from other social groups, flowed from this understanding. The third was that special status gave the Valley-based parties, which PM Modi painted as dynastic fiefdoms, a stranglehold over J&K’s resources and politics. The speech highlighted the importance of J&K and abrogation to the BJP — as an ideological issue — ahead of the general election. But it also left an important question unanswered.
The last time J&K had an elected government was in 2018, which was dissolved after the BJP withdrew from the ruling alliance. Since then, only two local body elections have been held — to Block Development Councils in 2019 and District Development Councils in 2020 — in both of which the Gupkar alliance did better than the BJP. The fact is that the abrogation of Article 370 changed fundamentally the nature of the region.
That change is irreversible, especially after the Supreme Court’s imprimatur on the decision. Valley-based political parties too seem to have made peace with this reality and are demanding that elections to panchayat bodies — due in January but yet to take place — and the assembly be held with the general elections. The Supreme Court asked that assembly elections be held by September.
And, according to the Centre’s own claims, the security situation has improved and the delimitation exercise is complete.
PM Modi has in the past said that it is important to remove both “dil ki doori” and “Dilli ki doori” between Kashmir and the rest of India.
In fact, bridging the gap — sentimental and political — was a justification for ending the “special” status. Yet, without elections, the erstwhile state continues to be an exception — the only state to have been made a Union Territory by Parliament. The election schedule, even for its local bodies, appears more malleable than anywhere else.
Like other Indians, the people in J&K deserve accountable governments and a political process in which they have a stake. Before the Supreme Court, the government said as recently as September 2023 that it was “ready to hold elections”, though it did not give a timeline for restoring statehood. By allowing politics to return to the region, the government will go a long way in ending dil ki doori, and Dilli ki doori in Naya Kashmir.
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